Neo-Noir

Film Noir refers to Mystery or Crime drama, that was produced throughout the 1940’s and 50’s. These movies were shot in black and white. Neo-Noir on the other hand is a sub-genre that started in the 1960’s to the present day. It is predominantly used in the thriller genre. Although they are usually filmed in colour, Neo Noir still uses the characteristics and themes in Film Noir to captivate and intrigue the viewers in the same way.

Some key characteristics of Film Noir include:

• A specific visual style characterized by low-key lighting, deep shadows, and obscuring camera angles.
• Disorientation through plot devices such as a non-linear plot line, an unreliable narrator, or flashbacks.
• A sense of impending doom or hopelessness.
• Stories about crime, either from the perspective of the criminal or the investigator. These crimes often include robberies, heists, or crimes of passion such as murder or suicide.
• Morally questionable protagonists that are not portrayed in a sympathetic light. They may be mentally unstable, corrupt, have a criminal background, or be involved with criminals.
• And prominent use of a femme fatale, as described in the last post.

List taken from: Listverse

A scene from a Film Noir called The Big Combo (1955)

Famous films that have used Neo-Noir include: Memento (2000), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Sin City (2005), The Godfather, And Shutter Island (2010).